Friday, December 2, 2011

For me, Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai is a visual genius, one of the most interesting directors currently working. I get so lost in the raw talent of the visual imagery that I don’t even notice the story (or lack of one). This may bother some people, but I’ll guarantee that many western filmmakers are being influenced by his work.

Chungking Express

Tarantino for one is a big fan. His breakthrough film Pulp Fiction was inspired by Kar-Wai’s films Chungking Express and it’s loose followup sequel Fallen Angels. These were intended to be one long film in three different parts (or stories), and Kar-Wai instead released Chunking first, which was the first two unrelated stories. It’s an amazing street style with blurred action and hand held camera movement that always serves to place the viewer in the middle of everything. For just the pure art of filmmaking, these are some of the most exciting films being made these days – he reminds me of Kubrick for films with visual impact.

Almost in the top 1000
6. Fallen Angels (1995) #1094 Sequel to Chungking Express is almost as good and should be in the top 500

In the Mood for Love [photo above] is a gorgeously shot love story, with color reminiscent of the early days of technicolor glory, say the color palette of Gone With the Wind or Black Narcissus, but darker than either.

Chungking and Fallen Angels are about street people doing everyday things, and some petty crimes that occur around them. 2046 continues the story of the lovers from In the Mood For Love, the number being that of a hotel room where they once met. Days of Being Wild isn’t quite as memorable but is still worth seeing. I’ve yet to see Happy Together, it’s at the top of my queue at Netflix, I’ve been saving it, I don’t want to see all his films at once.

Missing here is Ashes of Time Redux (1994), a wonderfully creative martial arts/samurai film, about a magic wine with the power to make one forget the past. It was apparently re-edited and re-released by Kar-Wai a decade after it’s original – I only saw the reissued version, but I liked and and it should be ranked as well.

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Introduction to World's Best Films

We will review (spoiler-free capsule reviews) and list the greatest films in history, wherever and whenever they were produced.

All films in Gold won Best Picture Oscars®. * is a new addition in a list.

Our Top Ranked 1000 Films, all polls, was compiled by taking all film polls we could find, throwing them into a spreadsheet, and gave numeric points in descending order. The result was over 2200 films listed in all, ranked by their relative positions in all the polls combined. This combination of both critics and fans polls should give film fans the most objective list of how films are perceived by the total film community, not just a small group of fans.

Relevant to said mission is the following query which I now put forth to you: wherein this most streamlined and trunkless of transports, boner-inspiring though it may be, wherein are we to reposit our most recently deceased cargo?” - Sin City

Go ahead, make my millenium! - Beetlejuice

I have nothing, I am a river to my people! - Lawrence of Arabia

Hey, senor, how much for the leetul girl? How much for the women? - The Blues Brothers

It's a girl and a midget, 'gidget', get it? - Gidget

I've worked in the private sector, they expect results. - Ghostbusters

Man, that's one big twinkie! - Ghostbusters

I put the grrr in swinger, baby! - Austin Powers

Badges? We don got to show you no stinkin badges! - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Boredom's the first step on the road to relapse - Clerks II

I ain't 'people'! I am a.. 'a shimmering, glowing star in the cinema firmament' - Singin' in the RainIf we bring a little joy into your humdrum lives, it makes us feel as though our hard work ain't been in vain for nothin'. - Singin' in the Rain (both from Jean Hagen)

..More Quotes

I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore! - Network

Lend all men thine ear, but lend few your tongue - Hamlet

Neither a borrower nor a lender be. - Hamlet

Doubt the the stars are fire; doubt that the moon's above; doubt that the truth's a liar; but never doubt my love - Hamlet

I picked a helluva week to give up _____ - Airplane!

You can always pay half the poor to kill the other half. - Boss Tweed, Gangs of New York

The first rule of politics: the ballots don't make the election winner, the counters make the winner. - Boss Tweed, Gangs of New York

Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night - All About Eve

You can still dish it out, but you just can't take it anymore - Little Caesar